DOCSLIB.ORG

Debates of the European Parliament 1

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Debates of the European Parliament 1 02-04-2009 EN Debates of the European Parliament 1 THURSDAY, 2 APRIL 2009 IN THE CHAIR: MR MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ Vice-President 1. Opening of the sitting (The sitting was opened at 9 a.m.) 2. Documents received: see Minutes 3. Bi-annual evaluation of the EU Belarus dialogue (motions for resolutions tabled): see Minutes 4. European conscience and totalitarianism (motions for resolutions tabled): see Minutes 5. The role of culture in the development of European regions (motions for resolutions tabled): see Minutes 6. Community ecolabel scheme - Voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) (debate) President. – The next item is the joint debate on the following reports: – the report by Salvatore Tatarella, on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Community Ecolabel scheme (COM(2008)0401 - C6-0279/2008 - 2008/0152(COD)), and – the report by Linda McAvan, on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (COM(2008)0402 - C6-0278/2008 - 2008/0154(COD)). Salvatore Tatarella, rapporteur. – (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I want to begin by thanking everyone who worked together so effectively in drafting this report: the shadow rapporteurs from the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety; the Czech Presidency; the European Commission officials and – last but not least – the admirable officials from all the political groups. I am grateful to them all for their excellent work. Their valuable contribution has made it possible to achieve agreement at first reading. When I took over responsibility on behalf of the European Parliament for reviewing the dossier on the eco quality labelling scheme, Ecolabel, I acted to speed up the system. Continually updating the environmental requirements for products that do not meet standards forces companies into an ongoing virtuous cycle that raises the overall eco quality standards of products placed on the market. By increasing the production and circulation of products and services with Ecolabel, we will obtain significant permanent and increasing environmental benefits in terms of energy saving, reducing atmospheric pollution and water saving. Ecolabel is a voluntary eco quality label that aims to promote the distribution of products and services with low environmental impact throughout their life cycles, offering consumers accurate, non-misleading and scientifically correct information. Our review of this regulation is part of a broader European action plan for sustainable production and consumption and it is closely linked to the review of EMAS and the Ecodesign directive. Community legislature already provides for this review of the regulation by stating that the system must be reviewed in the light of experience acquired and changed in order to increase its effectiveness, improve its planning and simplify its operation. The purpose of the label is to guide consumers towards products that are able to reduce environmental impact. To date, our experience with the Ecolabel has been patchy. On the plus side, an 2 EN Debates of the European Parliament 02-04-2009 increasing number of companies are applying for quality certification in the most diverse sectors. They therefore recognise its selective and driving value – this certification is greatly appreciated by consumers who are more aware of the social responsibilities of companies. On the negative side, I can report some problems: the general public are barely aware of the label; the criteria soon become obsolete because the markets change so quickly; and the bureaucratic language deters operators from taking part. The new Ecolabel will take on a new guise in terms of its look and content. It will become more attractive and its scope will extend to new products: by 2015, we plan to increase the number of groups from the current 25 to twice that number, that is, 40-50 groups. Promotional campaigns are planned. We have earmarked a marketing budget of EUR 9.5 million, and EUR 15 000 have been allocated for a new internet site. The principle that most interested the shadow rapporteurs and found the other institutions in agreement was the fact that the Ecolabel must not simply certify an achieved result but instead must be a dynamic tool that is continually developing, a driving force that continually pushes manufacturers and products towards higher standards of environmental quality by continuously evaluating market benchmarks and establishing new criteria on their basis. Our aim is to guarantee control of the entire product life cycle, which will allow us fully to consider environmental impact at all stages of production and allow all operators in the sector, and also NGOs, to play an active part in the process of reviewing the compromise criteria. (The President cut off the speaker) President. − Mr Tatarella, would you mind listening? You have five minutes now and two minutes at the end of the debate; if you use up the seven minutes now, you will not have any time at the end of the debate. However, it is up to you to choose whether you want to use up the seven minutes now or whether you want to use the five or six you have already had and leave yourself one minute to respond to your fellow Members’ comments. Salvatore Tatarella, rapporteur. − (IT) I accept your invitation. Linda McAvan, rapporteur. − Mr President, like Mr Tatarella, I would like to begin by thanking the people closely involved with helping us reach first-reading agreement today on the EMAS report. I would like to thank the shadows, who are here today, the Commission, who have been very helpful in getting agreement, and to the Czech Presidency, who are not here to hear my thanks. Thanks also go to the staff in Parliament and the groups, and to my own assistant, Elizabeth, who played a big role in making sure we were here today. It all went very fast, from the time we started discussing it to today, so we now have agreement before the election. EMAS is a voluntary scheme, which provides a framework to assist businesses and organisations to improve their environmental performance. It started 14 years ago and has had some modest success with about 4 000 participants – which, if you think about it, is not such a huge number in the overall European Union. The Commission set a target of increasing that to 35 000 participants. That is a very ambitious target. It is almost a 10-fold increase. I think it is right that we should try and improve the take-up of EMAS, because otherwise its impact is going to remain limited. But if we are to increase the impact, we also have to retain the environmental integrity of the programme. I think the agreement we reached today does achieve that balance between, hopefully, making it more attractive to people, while at the same time retaining the environmental integrity. We have made some changes which we have agreed with the Commission, and I think they are important. Firstly, corporate registration, so that a company or organisation with more than one site can actually register once in one country, which is very important. This Parliament had to register three times – in Luxembourg, France and Belgium – in order to get EMAS. From what I hear from the staff, it was not an easy thing to do. So that kind of change is important. Also, cluster registration for organisations involved in the same sector; reduced fees, and lighter reporting requirements for SMEs – I think EMAS is a bit too burdensome for small organisations, so it does need to change – and better alignment with ISO 14001. Particularly important to me is the introduction of sectoral support documents. I think the Commission is going to work very hard at this, and this will help organisations to benchmark themselves against similar organisations. Core indicators will also be introduced. These are very important to improve the programme and help people on the outside look at organisations and see how they are doing. I do hope these will encourage people to take part in EMAS, not because I want to play a numbers game and see EMAS competing with ISO, but because I think the scheme is a good one and could help us to meet our sustainability criteria. 02-04-2009 EN Debates of the European Parliament 3 Today the eyes of the world are very much on London, where world leaders are gathered to talk about the financial downturn and the global banking crisis. There will be some, no doubt, who are wondering why we are sitting here talking about environmental auditing at a time when organisations and companies are feeling the financial strain. They will see this kind of initiative by the Commission as a distraction. But I think that is wrong. For me and my Socialist colleagues, the green agenda is very much part of the solution to emerging from the financial crisis that we are in. We need to invest in energy and renewables, and we need to be cutting our environmental footprint. Although EMAS is a very modest programme in the big scheme about climate change which the Commissioner has worked so hard on, I think it nevertheless plays a role in helping the European Union and the rest of the world to cut our environmental footprint. Stavros Dimas, Μember of the Commission. − (EL) Mr President, I should like to start by thanking and congratulating the rapporteurs, Mrs McAvan and Mr Tatarella, on their excellent reports on the proposed review of the Community Ecolabel and eco-management and audit scheme.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Debates of the European Parliament 1
    16-01-2008 EN Debates of the European Parliament 1 WEDNESDAY, 16 JANUARY 2008 IN THE CHAIR: MR PÖTTERING President 1. Opening of the sitting (The sitting was opened at 9.05 a.m.) 2. Presentation of the programme of the Slovenian Presidency (debate) President. − Ladies and gentlemen, today is a very special day. It is a special day because for the first time in the history of the European Union the representative, the Prime Minister of this country, namely Slovenia, has the Presidency of the European Union. Slovenia is a country that joined the European Union on 1 May 2004 along with nine other countries. And it is the first time that one of the former communist countries now living according to the basic principles of freedom, democracy and parliamentarianism, namely Slovenia, has the Presidency of the European Union. I therefore warmly welcome the President-in-Office of the Council, the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Janša. Welcome to the European Parliament! (Applause) Today is also special for another reason, however, and I therefore extend a particularly warm welcome to the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso, because it is exactly 50 years ago that the first President of the European Commission, Walter Hallstein, convened his first Commission. The 50th anniversary of the European Commission is another event for us to celebrate. And so I also send the Commission, as an exception in this rather solemn context, all good wishes for this special birthday. (Applause) Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to listen to the report of the President-in-Office of the Council.
    [Show full text]
  • European Parliament
    EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ««« « « 2004 « « 2009 « « ««« DELEGATION FOR RELATIONS WITH THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN) Report of the 4th EP/Laos Interparliamentary Meeting and working group to Thailand (Bangkok - Vientiane - Luang Prabang) 18-23 March 2007 INTRODUCTION A working group from the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the ASEAN visited Laos for the 4th EP/Laos Interparliamentary Meeting from 19 to 23 March 2007. On its way to Laos, the working group had a 24-hour stop in Bangkok to assess the political situation in Thailand since the military coup d'état on 19 September 2006; this visit was meant to be a fact-finding mission, without endorsing the status of an official visit. The working group was led by Mr Hartmut NASSAUER (EPP-ED), Chair of the Delegation. It included also Mr Mr Jas GAWRONSKI, Mr Bert DOORN, Ms Margie SUDRE (EPP-ED), Mr Robert GOEBBELS (PES), Mr Frithjof SCHMIDT (Greens/EFA) and Mr Gintaras DIDŽIOKAS (UEN), Members of the ASEAN Delegation, as well as Mr Glyn FORD (PES) in his quality of rapporteur on "EU's Economic and Trade Relations with ASEAN" for the Committee on International Trade. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Thailand The politicians, diplomats and civil society activists we met, reflecting feelings observed by EU diplomats, did not perceive toppling of the government of Prime Minister Thaksin and the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution as a major catastrophe for democracy in Thailand as one could expect after a military coup d'état. Indeed, the widespread feelings were that under Prime Minister Thaksin the Constitution had been unable to guarantee the neutrality and smooth functioning of the State (personal privileges and cronyism, but also constant demonstrations and finally the failed general election) even before the coup formally suspended it.
    [Show full text]
  • Bulletin of the European Union
    ISSN 0378-3693 European Commission Bulletin of the European Union 10·1995 The Bulletin of the European Union reports on the activities of the Commission and the other Community institutions. It is produced by the Secretariat-General of the European Commission and published 10 times a year in the official European languages. The following reference system is used: the first digit indicates the part number, the second digit the chapter number and the subsequent digit or digits the point number. Citations should there­ fore read as follows: Bull 1/2-1994, point 1.1.1 or 2.2.3. Supplements to the Bulletin are published in a separate series at irregular intervals. They contain official Commission material (e.g. communications to the Council, programmes, reports and pro­ posals). European Commission Secretariat-General Editorial team: rue de Ia Loi 200- B-1049 Brussels- Tel. 2957930 Sent to press in January 1995 © ECSC-EC-EAEC, Brussels • Luxembourg, 1995 Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in France European Commission Bulletin of the European Union 10 ·1995 Bulletin information service Readers can obtain information on developments since this issue went to press (date of adoption of instruments by the Council, of opinions given by Parliament or the Economic and Social Committee, of publication in the Official Journal, etc.) by tele­ phoning the documentation service of the Commission Offices on the following numbers: London (171) 222 8122 Belfast 240 708 Cardiff 371 631 Edinburgh 225 2058 Dublin 671 2244 References in the text References to other parts of the same issue of the Bulletin are given in parentheses in text, thus (--+ point 2.1.53).
    [Show full text]
  • ASEAN and the European Union
    ASEAN and the European Union ASEAN and the European Union Edited by Gerhard Wahlers © Copyright 2006 by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Singapore Editor Gerhard Wahlers Responsible Colin Dürkop Falk-Ulrich von Hoff Publisher Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung 34/36 Bukit Pasoh Road Singapore 089848 Tel: (65) 6227-2001 Fax: (65) 6227-8343 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.kas-asia.org Design and Layout TimeEdge Publishing Pte Ltd 10 Anson Road 15-14 International Plaza Singapore 079903 www.tepub.com CONTENTS Foreword XI Prof. Dr. Bernhard Vogel President of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Preface XV Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel President for the Council of the European Union Federal Chancellor of Austria Preface XVII José Manuel Durão Barroso President of the EU Commission EU-ASEAN: An Enduring Partnership matures into Friendship 1 Dr. Benita Ferrero-Waldner Commissioner of Foreign Relations and Neighbourhood Policy Stability and Efficiency 5 Common Perspectives and Requirements of ASEAN and the European Union in the Era of Globalisation Prof. Dr. Günter Rinsche Chairman of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from 1979 to 1999 Member of the Board of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation The European Parliament and Europe's Global Role in the 13 21st Century Dr. Ingo Friedrich MEP Vice President of the European Parliament V From the Past to the Future: The EPP-ED Group in the Service 19 for a United Europe Prof. Dr. Hans-Gert Poettering MEP Chairman of the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (EPP-ED- Group) The European Union as a Model for ASEAN? 25 Hartmut Nassauer MEP Chairman of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1999 Chairman of the German Delegation in the EPP-ED-Group ASEAN and the European Union 41 Elmar Brok MEP Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs Security Policy in Europe and in Southeast Asia 47 Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Journal Officiel De La République Française
    ASSEMBLÉE NATIONALE – SÉANCE DU 14 NOVEMBRE 1996 1 SOMMAIRE PRÉSIDENCE DE M. DIDIER BARIANI PRÉSIDENCE DE MME NICOLE CATALA 1. Loi de finances pour 1997 (deuxième partie). − Suite de MM. Daniel Garrigue, la discussion d’un projet de loi (p. 2). Jean-Yves Le Déaut, Mme Monique Papon, AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES ET FRANCOPHONIE MM. Pierre Lequiller, M. Michel Inchauspé, rapporteur spécial de la commission Jean Bernard Raimond, des finances, pour les affaires étrangères. Bruno Bourg-Broc, Jacques Myard. M. Aymeri de Montesquiou, rapporteur pour avis de la commission des affaires étrangères, pour les affaires étran- M. Hervé de Charette, ministre des affaires étrangères. gères. M. Michel Voisin, suppléant M. Jean-François Deniau, rap- Mme Margie Sudre, secrétaire d’Etat chargé de la franco- porteur pour avis de la commission de la défense, pour phonie. les affaires étrangères. Réponses de M. le ministre et de Mme le secrétaire d’Etat M. Jean-Yves Le Déaut, rapporteur pour avis de la commis- aux questions de : M. Gilbert Meyer, Mme Martine sion des affaires étrangères, pour l’immigration. Aurillac, MM. Bernard Schreiner, Charles Josselin, Jean- M. Jean Bardet, rapporteur pour avis de la commission des Yves Le Déaut, Yves Marchand, Jean-Louis Bernard, affaires culturelles, pour les relations culturelles inter- Maurice Ligot. nationales et la francophonie. M. Xavier Deniau, rapporteur pour avis de la commission Renvoi de la suite de la discussion à la prochaine séance. des affaires étgrangères, pour les relations culturelles inter- nationales et la francophonie. M. George Hage. 2. Ordre du jour (p. 31). 2 ASSEMBLÉE NATIONALE – SÉANCE DU 14 NOVEMBRE 1996 COMPTE RENDU INTÉGRAL PRÉSIDENCE DE M.
    [Show full text]
  • Globalization, Social Movements, and the Construction of Europe: the Example of the European Parliament Elections in France∗
    Center for European Studies Working Paper Series #74, August 2000 Globalization, Social Movements, and the Construction of Europe: The Example of the European Parliament Elections in France∗ by Niilo Kauppi Senior Research Fellow, Academy of Finland [email protected] ∗ This paper is part of a larger research project on the interface of national and European politics that I started as a Research Fellow of the Academy of Finland in 1996. Numerous individuals have facilitated my work. I am indebted to Pierre Bourdieu and Monique de Saint Martin for having me as a "chercheur invité" at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales in the Spring 1996, and Monique de Saint Martin again in the Spring 1999. During this time, I also received many valuable comments from Marc Abélès, Christian Lequesne, and Luc Rouban. I would like to thank Charles Maier, Abby Collins, and George Ross from the Harvard Center for European Studies at Harvard for inviting me to spend the Fall of 1999 as a Visiting Scholar. I had the opportunity to take part in the lively discussions of the community of scholars. My thanks also go to Alain Lamassoure and Adrien Zeller, who had the time to answer my questions on French visions of European integration, and Willy Beauvallet, Anne Epstein, Didier Georgakakis, Mihai Gheorgiu, Karen Heinze, Herbert Kalthoff, Marja Keränen, and Michel Mangenot with whom I had and continue to have discussions on Europe's past, present, and future. 2 Globalization, Social Movements, and the Construction of Europe: The Example of the European Parliament Elections in France Though social scientists have lately devoted themselves to the study of globalization (Waters 1995; Hirst and Thompson 1999), most of these studies have concentrated on its economic and social consequences.
    [Show full text]
  • Official Directory of the European Union 2005
    Information last updated on 8 July 2005 Official directory of the European Union 2005 EUROPEAN UNION Note to readers This publication appears once a year in three languages: English, French and German. It contains the organisation charts of the institutions, bodies, agencies and organisations of the European Union down to the level of heads of basic operational entities. A regularly updated electronic version can be consulted on the Internet via the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int/idea). The personal data it contains are provided by the institutions, agencies and bodies. If you detect any errors, please report them to: [email protected]. Because of the number and complexity of the titles of posts in all the various language versions, we are unable for the moment to give their femi- nine/masculine variants. We have therefore opted for a single title, which should be regarded as neutral. Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union Freephone number (*): 0080067891011 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls may be billed. A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int). Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2005 ISBN 92-78-40302-4 European Communities, 2005 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Luxembourg PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER Contents Introducing the institutions, bodies and agencies of the European Union .........
    [Show full text]